Be Careful What You Wish For

Cassie sat on the windowseat in her bedroom, her knees pulled up to her chest, gazing out at the willow tree in her front yard. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered John's parting words:

"I'm sorry, Cassie. I've been seeing someone else. You just don't please me. I'm sorry."

Her mind was like a skipping record, playing his words over and over again. She sobbed even harder. How could he say such a thing? What had she done wrong? She tried to please him, she knew she had. She did things she'd never dreamed she'd do, just to try to make him happy.

She rose slowly, tears still streaming down her pale, freckled face. She gazed into the mirror, critically. She knew she wasn't ugly, but she wasn't a raving beauty either. Her long, straight red hair and blue eyes were quite ordinary. She was too pale, with too many freckles.

I'm too skinny, no tits, and I was a virgin when he met me. I probably did everything wrong. Cassie shook her head, trying to stop the tears, but they just kept coming. She laid down on her double bed, so big and empty now, and buried her head in one of the big, down pillows.

"I wish I'd never been born," she sobbed. "I can't do anything right. I wish I was dead."

"Cassie?" a man's voice spoke to her from somewhere nearby.

Cassie started. Who could be in her room? She was sure she had locked the door. She looked around, fearfully, but saw no one.
"Is someone there?" she asked, shakily.
"Cassie, I can grant your wish. Do you really wish you'd never been born?"
"Yes, I do. Please. I can't take this pain. I love him so much," her voice broke again as fresh tears rained down her cheeks.

"As you wish."

There was a bright flash and then nothing. Cassie looked around to find herself in total darkness. She felt as if she was floating. Frightened, she called out, but no one answered.

Where am I? "Hello?"

Nothing but silence greeted her. Cassie was frightened. Where on earth could she be? What had just happened? If she had never been born, then why was she here? Why did she exist at all?

She floated aimlessly in the blackness for what seemed to be an eternity. Fear was replaced with a quiet resignation. She didn't know what it meant, but she felt strangely peaceful.

"Cassie." It was the voice again. Cassie turned and saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing a long white robe.
"Who are you? Where am I?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"I am a Djinn," the man replied. "I have granted your first wish. Do you not remember?"
"But, I wished I'd never been born. Why am I still alive?"
"You no longer exist as Cassandra Evans on Earth," he replied. "But, you still have two wishes left, so I cannot grant you death yet."
"I don't understand."
"It's all very complicated. Don't worry about it. Just make your second wish."

Cassie stared at the Djinn in confusion. She remembered the movie "Wishmaster" and wondered if maybe she had made a very serious error in judgment. Still, he didn't look evil, so she thought very carefully about her second wish.

"Can I wish to be someone else?" she asked, tentatively.
"Yes, of course. You can wish for anything. Though, as you are now, riches would do you no good. I would recommend wishing some kind of new life for yourself first."

Cassie thought this sounded very sensible.
"I wish that I could have a new life as a beautiful, sexy, worldly woman."
"As you wish!"

There was another bright flash of light and when Cassie opened her eyes she was back in her bedroom. Oh no! I'm back where I started.
She was about to call for the Djinn, when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She gasped. Instead of a plain, skinny, flat-chested redhead staring back at her, her reflection showed a curvy, busty woman with long burgundy hair, sparkling green eyes, and a lovely fair complexion.

Cassie grinned. "Now, this is more like it!"
She noticed the light on her answering machine was flashing and hit play.
"Hey, Cass, it's John. I hope we're still on for tonight. I love you." There was a beep and then silence. Cassie smiled. She couldn't believe her good fortune. She picked up the phone and quickly called John.

After arranging to meet at "Golden China" for dinner in a couple hours. She quickly looked through her closet for something to wear. Along with her new look, she discovered she also had a whole new wardrobe. After debating for twenty minutes, she picked a sexy, low-cut, dark green blouse and a very short black mini-skirt. She completed the ensemble with black, thigh-high stockings and black stilletto heels.

Admiring her new self in the mirror, she knew she was going to knock him dead.

That evening, at the restaurant, John got down on his knee and pulled a small, black box from his pants pocket. Inside, was a beautiful, two carat diamond ring. "Will you marry me?" he asked, a smile on his handsome face.

"Yes, oh yes!" Cassie exclaimed. She couldn't believe it. She had never been so happy in her entire life. After dinner, they made love in her double bed and she found that she knew just what to do to please him. He fell asleep, but Cassie was too excited for slumber. She rose from the bed, careful not to wake him.

"Djinn," she called softly. "Are you here?"
"Yes, Cassie. You still have one more wish."
"There's nothing more I want, I'm happy now."
"You have to make a third wish," the Djinn's black eyes flashed. "There are rules!"
"Why? What difference does it make if I only make two wishes?" Cassie was beginning to feel afraid. The Djinn didn't look so friendly anymore. He looked almost dangerous.

"Make your third wish or suffer the consequences!" the Djinn shouted, angrily. His eyes were glowing bright red now and his white robe had changed to black.
"Alright, alright!" Cassie cowered. "I wish I had a million dollars."

The Djinn smiled, a wicked smile. "As you wish."

The phone rang.

"Hello?"
"Cassie?" her mom's voice came over the line. She sounded as if she had been crying.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry, Cassie. It's your brother, Mike. There was an accident at work."
"Oh no! Is he going to be okay?"
"No, honey, I"m sorry. He's dead." Her mother broke down into racking sobs. "He always loved you, Cass. He had an insurance policy. You're the sole beneficiary. One million dollars."

Cassie screamed. The Djinn laughed. The world went dark.

"Thank you, Cassie. Your final wish has freed us. We can now rule the earth once more."

Cassie watched in horror as demons rose from the earth. Dark shapes, vaguely human-shaped, they spread out over the planet causing wars, plagues and famine. Within a week, there were only a few humans left in a world consumed by darkness.

Cassie wept.


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